We were able to sleep in today, Friday, because we didn’t have work. I’m flying out of PHL at six to go to the Dominican Republic so a few of the interns are planning a day trip to Philadelphia. I’m a bit sad because this is the last time I get to see several of the interns. Three are leaving next week, and I’ll be overseas, so it is a premature goodbye. We leave around noon since our ride had to work this morning. She was at work until midnight and went back to work this morning, sounds a lot like banking, yet she was able to take her first vacation with us to Philly! We arrived downtown around 2pm due to traffic and headed to south Philly for cheeseteaks. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Philly cheesesteaks, the two famous joints are Geno’s and Pat’s. She recommended Geno’s because Pat’s apparently does not cook their onions thoroughly. The cheesteaks were extremely delicious and for the first time I tried ketchup on my “whiz with.” (See orientation blog entry for explanation.) Due to time constraints they dropped me off at the airport immediately after.

I arrived at the airport around 3:30, well ahead of the recommended two and a half hour buffer for flights. Little did I know this wasn’t going to be enough. PHL is a nightmare. I spent about 30 minutes in line trying to check in my luggage. I usually would not check in luggage as I like to travel light, but I had promised I would bring several things for the long term interns in the Dominican Republic. After waiting 30 minutes my baggage tickets were printed out. Then I waited another hour and a half until it was around 5:20 due the horrible logistics and unmotivated staff at counter 52. Each of the employees were tasked to oversee about 6 different kiosks where they print out your luggage tag and check your passport then send you on your way. This lady for some reason did not follow that model. Instead she ignored 4 of her kiosk lines and only gave luggage tickets to those that were in her direct lines. Eventually people started moving over, but this created quite a queue. I eventually had to seek out another attendant to go over and take my luggage ticket because I was going to miss my flight. At this point I only had 30 minutes to get through security for my international flight. I was getting desperate, I didn’t want to miss my flight! Miraculously, I went to the security line further away from the US Airways kiosks and the line was fairly short. I breezed by and made it to my gate around 5:45, which would have been most likely the last call for my 5:55 flight. Luckily, my flight had been delayed coming in so I had a little time to relax and grab dinner. After getting on board, my flight was delayed another hour due to air traffic. I noticed a curious thing while on the plane, only one stewardess knew Spanish. The flight was predominantly Spanish so at times there was a language barrier. I would have expected airlines to place more Spanish speaking members on the flight, but I guess it isn’t a requirement. I’m currently blogging on the plane and am anxious to land. I’ve just filled out my visitors form and two of the interns are picking me up from the airport. I hope I haven’t caused too much trouble since my flight is delayed 1-2 hours from the scheduled arrival.

I’m scheduled now to arrive around midnight and we are planning a weekend trip to northern Dominican Republic where another of the interns went to high school. Then for the rest of the week I’ll be working out of the HOPE/Esperanza office in Santo Domingo. I’m planning to visit several clients and see some of the MFI strategic meetings so I should have some interesting updates soon. The attendants are calling to shut off electronic devices so I guess I’ll fill you in on the details when I get the chance!

It took me awhile this week to figure out what I wanted to write about. I decided to give some advice, from my point of view, to students who are considering pursuing an internship. This past week I was invited up to the Cleveland office to take part in the interviewing process for next year’s interns. Myself and the other interns were given the opportunity to meet and greet the potential recruits and we spend time with each other for a majority of the day. Seeing corporate recruiting decisions and processes from this angle was an eye-opening experience.

If I could pick one point to stress over all the others, when it comes to interviewing, without a doubt: “Be Yourself!” Your grades will speak for themselves. The primary use of your grades is to get you in the door. From that point on, it is up to you to sell yourself. Once you make it to an office interview setting, those in charge will decide whether or not you are a good fit for the office. Being too quiet or shy and a lack of confidence are two popular complaints I have heard. However, the easiest way to guarantee you won’t be contacted again is to come in with an attitude and a lack of enthusiasm.

Once you have completed this stage, do yourself a favor and stay in touch with the employees you interviewed with. When interviewing so many other recruits it may be difficult to be memorable. Reaching out with an e-mail is a great way to make a difference and stand out against the rest of the candidates.

When it comes to career fairs and making these connections it never hurts to start early. As you make your rounds, don’t be one of those people that arrive with 50 résumés and are determined to hand out every single one by the end of the event. Making quality connections with a few recruiters is a much better option, as these relationships will be more memorable for them. The same advice goes for these events when it comes to staying in touch with the recruiters. A recruiter could potentially meet at least 50 or 100 possible recruits in a short time period. Reaching out to the recruiter immediately after the event is a great way to stand out again.

I have been fortunate enough to be involved with the recruiting process in numerous different forms. If anyone has any questions please feel free to comment or e-mail me at jvogel@cohenfund.com. If interested in Cohen & Company’s take on the interview process feel free to visit the following site http://cohencpa.jobs/.

Note to Marshal’s Faithful Readers: Marshal’s editor has taken his most recent post, Marshal Getz in Jolly old Enlgand: Part V, and divided it into six shorter posts that will be released as Part V(a) through Part V (f). This is the sixth installment.

The BBC proms are in their 114 year and are a series of 70+ musical performances set over a period of 40 days. The

With Alexandra at the BBC Proms

Proms bring some of the best classical and jazz musicians in the world to London’s Royal Albert Hall, and the best part is that the Proms are dirt cheap. The reason for this is to get the younger generation of kids interested in classical music. Regularly, a person would pay £100 to watch a performer that you could see at the BBC Proms for £5-£10. It really is the deal of a lifetime. Alexandra and I went to the second night of the Proms and saw the recreation of Joseph Haydn’s The Creation. Upon arriving to the Royal Albert Hall, I wasn’t sure what I was going to expect from the proms. Personally, I am more of a rocker, and I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the classical music. I came into the performance hoping the time would fly by, and I left wishing the orchestra would have played on forever! Never before had I experienced such an amazing performance, and in one night, I became obsessed with the BBC Proms.

After the Proms

Following an awesome night at the Proms with Alexandra, we met up with the rest of the OSU kids and the Washington girls at one of Europe’s best dance clubs, Fabric. Fabric is located in an old warehouse which wasn’t much to look at on the outside, however, was freaking awesome on the inside. Imagine the craziest looking European night club and Fabric is exactly that. The cover charge was £18 (~$30) which is pretty stiff; however the club was worth the money. The Saturday we were there was awesome because 3 of the top DJ’s in Europe were at Fabric that night so the beats were unbelievable. The cool thing about Fabric is that it is open until 8am and we had every intention of partying until dawn, until 4am rolled around and we hit the brick wall. The following day, we were all pretty tired, so Andrew, Drew, Bruce, Scott, and myself just went to Regents Park and kicked the football around for a bit, and then went to the pub to watch the second set of the cricket match between England and Australia. With the exception of being sick on Wednesday, the following work week was great and flew by like always. Before I knew it, Friday was knocking on the doorstep.

Sweet photo on one of the dance floors at FabricOne of the many great views at Hampstead Heath

This past weekend was very relaxing for me. The weather was horrid on Friday and Sunday so I spent a lot of time at Nido and worked on some things that I needed to complete, however, I still managed to have a great time. On Thursday night, for our required cultural event, the EUSA students got tickets to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette at the Globe Theatre. Of course, I came from work and was wearing my suit, we had standing tickets, and it was raining. Needless to say, we all got pretty wet, which is probably the cause of my current ear-ache. However, the play was really good, and I’m proud that I braved the harsh conditions and stayed for the entire thing (Mom, I know that you are so proud! Lol). Following the play, Alexandra, her cute friend Paige, and myself walked around the south bank of the Thames for a while before calling it a night.

The following day, Ohio State’s EUSA program coordinator, Kristin Schrader was in London, so I coordinated a time for us students to meet up with her. We had lunch in the artsy Covent Garden at this little cup cake place (not my doing) that seriously reminded me of the game Candy Land. It was really creepy. That day was also Jessica’s 21st birthday so the OSU kids and the California girls got tickets for this dinner/party cruise on the Thames to celebrate Jess’s birthday. The cruise was a blast and the captain even let me drive the boat for a while (Which definitely wasn’t a good idea on his part). After the cruise, I went to bed because I had plans to visit Hampstead Heath the following day. Saturday was beautiful, and for the first time in I don’t know, maybe two weeks, there wasn’t a 50% chance of rain, so I took advantage of the weather. Hampstead is a posh little area in northern London. Everything is way too expensive for my liking; however Hampstead has probably the best wildlife area in all of southern England, Hampstead Heath. The ‘Heath’ as it is known, is London’s largest ancient parkland with over 800 acres of wilderness. All throughout the Heath, people were sun bathing, having picnics, playing football, and swimming in one of the many ponds. The one thing that I really enjoyed about the Heath was the sense of privacy I felt while there. The area I laid down to read/nap was in the middle of a grassy field. It reminded me of being back in rural Ohio which was actually a comfortable feeling. It was cool to feel this way while being in a city of 8 million people. The Heath is the most elevated area in London, which was cool because you could see most of London’s major landmarks from atop the Heath. On top of the hill, you could see St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Gerkin, the London Eye, the BT Tower, and Big Ben which were all over 10 miles away. It was a pretty cool sight. After spending the whole day in Hampstead and getting some much needed sun, I returned back home and had a relaxing evening. Now, here I am, sipping on my Earl Grey, and feeling a sense of relaxation after having just completed this monstrosity of a blog. Any more writing on my part and someone may start to think that I am actually enjoying this J. Well, my dear friends, there you have it, the three week chronicle of events of my voyage in the UK. I apologize for the longevity of this blog, however there was a lot that I needed to catch you guys up on, plus I was in the mood for writing. I pray you all a wonderful week, and who knows, maybe there will be another blog from me this weekend, BUT, I wouldn’t hold my breath on it. With that, I will leave you with a wise word from the greatest of all britons. Cheers

“I would say to the House as I said to those who have joined this government: ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat….’ You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs — Victory in spite of all terror — Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.”

Note to Marshal’s Faithful Readers: Marshal’s editor has taken his most recent post, Marshal Getz in Jolly old Enlgand: Part V, and divided it into six shorter posts that will be released as Part V(a) through Part V (f). This is the fifth installment.

That following weekend, the students from OSU, USC, and Washington all travelled to Cambridge University. Upon hearing of our trip to Cambridge back in June, I really wasn’t that excited to go there. I much rather would have preferred Oxford since it is the older of the two universities. Reading into Cambridge University before the trip, I realized that Cambridge University much better suited my interests than Oxford did. Having majored in chemistry for two years, I have always had a very profound interest in the sciences and upon learning that some of the greatest scientists in history were Cambridge Scholars, I was immediately stoked for the trip. This year marks the 800th year of Cambridge University as it was established in 1209 by King Henry II. Cambridge University is home to some of the world’s best scientists, mathematicians, and literary figures whereas Oxford is home to some of the greatest politicians. Some of the great men to have graduated from Cambridge University are: Stephen Hawking, Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Francis Bacon, Niels Bohr, James Clerk Maxwell, John Milton, Charles Darwin, Sacha Baron-Cohen (BORAT), Christopher Marlowe, John Harvard (founder of that other university in Cambridge, MA), C.S. Lewis, William Pitt, Oliver Cromwell, and Prince Charles. While I was looking up the number of great men who have graduated Cambridge University, I was in utter shock. The men that I listed are only a small portion of the great men who have graduated from Cambridge, however, their contributions to society and to England are astronomical. Walking around the university was awesome! Being the nerd that I am, I thought it was so cool to be walking around the same campus where Newton developed his numerous theories on gravitation and motion and where Darwin worked to perfect his Origin of Species. My favourite part of the trip though was having a drink in the Eagle Pub, the same pub where James Watson exclaimed to Francis Crick “We have found the secret of life”. Watson and Cricks discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 has been recognized as one of the greatest achievements in human history, and it was really cool to sit and have a drink in the place where that massive discovery was announced. Following a pint of ale at the Eagle, I paid a visit to

View of Trinity College that I took from atop St. Mary's Church

Trinity College.

**As a little side note, Cambridge and Oxford are broken up into several colleges, much like Ohio State University, however, enrollment into Cambridge or Oxford is strictly based on the judgment of the certain College that you apply to. Also, the separate colleges do not have a specific major which is unlike OSU where Fisher College is for business students and Knowlton School is strictly for Architects. For example, Cambridge’s Trinity College had notable figures such as Sir Isaac Newton (Physicist) and Alfred Lord Tennyson (Poet).

Trinity College is Cambridge University’s most notable college. In fact, Trinity has produced 31 Nobel Laureates, which quite to my amusement is more than the whole of France. Not only does Trinity College boast a ridiculous amount of Nobel Laureates, but the college is the 3rd largest land owner in all of England, after the Crown and the Church of England. Following my walk around Trinity College, Allison, Alexandra, and myself went on a punt ride on the river Cam. The punt rides are much like those in Venice except much cheaper and are a must do while at Cambridge. The punt is a little boat with a guy rowing in the back, and the trip on the river took us around the backs or the colleges where it is less crowded and much more beautiful. Upon returning to London after an awesome day at Cambridge, I accompanied Alexandra to an evening at the Royal Albert Opera Hall and the experience of a lifetime watching the BBC Proms.

Note to Marshal’s Faithful Readers: Marshal’s editor has taken his most recent post, Marshal Getz in Jolly old Enlgand: Part V, and divided it into six shorter posts that will be released as Part V(a) through Part V (f). This is the fourth installment.

I couldn’t get enough of the Tudor History, so the following day, I went and visited King Henry VIII’s elaborate Hampton Court Palace. Hampton Court is probably my favourite of England’s many palaces. Located about 15 miles outside central London, Hampton Court was once the home of Henry VIII’s good friend and councilor, Cardinal Wolsey. If history is to teach us anything, it is not to try and outdo your boss, which is exactly what Wolsey did. Upon the Henry’s visiting the palace, Henry took it from Cardinal Wolsey, and later had him imprisoned for failing to break England from Rome. The palace is located alongside the Thames, and has some of the most beautiful gardens that I have ever seen. I have never been much for gardens until I came here. The eloquent display of hedges and flowers is amazing, and Hampton Court also boasts the world’s most famous Hedge Maze. Walking through the hedge maze was so cool, I honestly felt like I was in Harry Potter.